A baking steel begins as a solid carbon-steel plate. What turns it into KNEVA Oven Steel is a sequence of surface preparation, nitriding and a light protective oil film. Here is what each step does, and why we choose this material for baking.
WATCH VIDEO: How we make KNEVA Oven Steel
32 seconds · Press play below
Follow the transformation from raw carbon steel through blasting, vacuum gas nitriding and a light vegetable-oil spray. Animation and product renders illustrate the process.
Why we choose carbon steel
We deliberately choose carbon steel because a solid plate can store oven heat and transfer it rapidly into dough. Once fully preheated, the steel supplies heat at the base of the loaf. That heat supports the early expansion known as oven spring and helps the underside brown.
The animation shows this mechanism; the rise and colour change are illustrations rather than a timed baking test. Actual results depend on the dough, proofing, oven temperature and how thoroughly the steel is preheated.
Step 1: blast the raw surface clean
Blasting removes surface rust, dust and scale from the raw plate. It leaves a clean, fine-textured surface ready for the next treatment. The purpose is preparation: a consistent starting surface helps the later finishing stages work evenly.
Step 2: vacuum gas nitriding
The plate then undergoes vacuum gas nitriding. This treatment hardens the surface and improves resistance to wear and corrosion. It is a treatment of the steel surface, rather than a painted non-stick finish.
Step 3: a thin vegetable-oil film
While the plate is still warm, food-grade vegetable oil is sprayed evenly across the surface. The light oil film helps minimise rust. Together, the surface treatment and oil finish turn the raw plate into the smooth, matte baking surface shown at the end of the video.
Improved corrosion resistance does not mean carbon steel is rustproof. For first use, cleaning and storage, use the KNEVA Oven Steel full use and care guide.
Ready for your next bake
Choose a steel that fits your oven and follow the full guide for setup and preheating. Explore the current sizes on the KNEVA Oven Steel product page.
